Oregon State Police (OSP) Senior Trooper Jim Collom of the Central Point Area Command office was recognized Wednesday, May 14, 2014, for his dedication to protecting Oregon citizens and our natural resources when he received the OSP Fish & Wildlife Division's 2013 "Trooper of the Year" award. The award presentation was made by Captain Jeff Samuels, director of the OSP Fish & Wildlife Division, at the Cole Rivers Hatchery on the Rogue River in front of his supervisors, peers, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) staff that he closely works with.
This is the Fish & Wildlife Division's eighth annual presentation of the award honoring a trooper who among many traits embodies excellent efforts and outside-the-box thinking to address issues, mentorship, teamwork, and dedication to protecting Oregon's citizens and natural resources.
Captain Samuels said selection for this award is made after reviewing nominations submitted from the field force. The selection nomination was submitted by Sergeant Kirk Meyer, and this year's twelve nominations is believed to be the most received since the award was first presented.
Senior Trooper Collom has been involved with enforcing fish and wildlife laws for about 22 years including fourteen years with OSP following nine years as a game warden in Idaho. Passionate about his job, Collom is known to be a top performer on his Fish & Wildlife team including the number of field contacts, investigations, and enforcement activities. He also assists the Patrol Division troopers in handling crashes and other calls for rural law enforcement services.
As the Department's statewide coordinator for the "Turn-in-Poachers" (TIP) program, Collom administers rewards given by the Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) to tipsters for information on fish and wildlife cases. He also writes articles for the OHA magazine, works closely with local ODFW biologists, is a speaker at hunter education classes, and helps organize OSP's booth each year at the Sportsmen's Show.
Some recent cases worked by Collom include:
* The investigation of an Eagle Point-area deer poaching ring that led to the service of seven search warrants and the charging of eight suspects for crimes including 23 felony counts.
* The investigation of the poaching of a trophy class buck that was shot and left to waste in a field in the Eagle Point area. A difficult case to solve with little evidence, Collom had a news release issued and solicited funding for a $3,000 reward. The investigation also identified the unlawfully shooting of three large bucks and led to charges for a husband and his wife.
"This isn't just a one year nomination with Jim," said Lieutenant David Gifford. "He continues year after year to be one of the finest Fish & Wildlife officers that we have anywhere in the state and he's overdue for this recognition."
Photograph - Oregon State Police
### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
This is the Fish & Wildlife Division's eighth annual presentation of the award honoring a trooper who among many traits embodies excellent efforts and outside-the-box thinking to address issues, mentorship, teamwork, and dedication to protecting Oregon's citizens and natural resources.
Captain Samuels said selection for this award is made after reviewing nominations submitted from the field force. The selection nomination was submitted by Sergeant Kirk Meyer, and this year's twelve nominations is believed to be the most received since the award was first presented.
Senior Trooper Collom has been involved with enforcing fish and wildlife laws for about 22 years including fourteen years with OSP following nine years as a game warden in Idaho. Passionate about his job, Collom is known to be a top performer on his Fish & Wildlife team including the number of field contacts, investigations, and enforcement activities. He also assists the Patrol Division troopers in handling crashes and other calls for rural law enforcement services.
As the Department's statewide coordinator for the "Turn-in-Poachers" (TIP) program, Collom administers rewards given by the Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) to tipsters for information on fish and wildlife cases. He also writes articles for the OHA magazine, works closely with local ODFW biologists, is a speaker at hunter education classes, and helps organize OSP's booth each year at the Sportsmen's Show.
Some recent cases worked by Collom include:
* The investigation of an Eagle Point-area deer poaching ring that led to the service of seven search warrants and the charging of eight suspects for crimes including 23 felony counts.
* The investigation of the poaching of a trophy class buck that was shot and left to waste in a field in the Eagle Point area. A difficult case to solve with little evidence, Collom had a news release issued and solicited funding for a $3,000 reward. The investigation also identified the unlawfully shooting of three large bucks and led to charges for a husband and his wife.
"This isn't just a one year nomination with Jim," said Lieutenant David Gifford. "He continues year after year to be one of the finest Fish & Wildlife officers that we have anywhere in the state and he's overdue for this recognition."
Photograph - Oregon State Police
### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###